and of course, brain injury

Shifting Gears

It has been a while and I have been busy. Busy getting a bionic foot, climbing Kilimanjaro, cruising the Danube with my mom, busy in Denali national park training for a 2018 summit.

Oh. And busy being a full-time patient who sometimes goes from the hospital to a wine event, or occasionally takes a week off for a press trip or adventure as I “regain my footing.” … (Vestibular joke!)

I’m finally starting to feel oriented. It’s been daunting and tough and what I really wanted when I was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury was to talk to someone else who was going through the treatment process. Talking to folks who have been rehabbed are great resources, the interweb is good too, although I am still having a lot of trouble reading with comprehension.

Lucky for me, most of my work is written from experience. I am a “doer” out of necessity, and it’s not something to complain about. Some people read, listen or see to learn. I need to “do.” And so, many of my chef and tasting things, and travel adventures are still possible, when time permits.

With luck, by the time I am done my rehab I will be able to see straight, balance and be coordinated again, be able to move my hand (quickly), be able to sleep and read properly. Also, be able to find my words! It’s easy to miss, or you may think I’m just a bit restless, but next time you talk to me observe how my eyes dart around searching my noggin for the word I want!

Of course you would know none of this if I hadn’t just told you because I “look fine and am reasonably articulate.” That excuse has been handed to me so many times as the reason I wasn’t properly diagnosed sooner. “This stuff” has significantly changed my life and sent me into uncharted territory difficult to navigate; a place where I’ve felt confused, lost, desperate, and angry. No more of that. I’m dissatisfied with healthcare I’ve received in the past, but for now I set that aside. I want to focus on getting better, working when I can, and making sure I share any advice, logic or benefits when I understand what is worth sharing. There seems to be a stigma to disclosing full-time patient status. I’m breaking that, thank you very much, and proud to do so because I think it might help others.

So there you have it. I look forward to sharing more and I look forward to hearing from others dealing with similar problems.